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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsKushner still running US diplomacy
By Eric Levitz
Over the past two weeks, weve learned that the FBI does not believe Jared Kushner can be trusted with top-secret intelligence; that at least four foreign governments have discussed trying to influence American policy by manipulating Kushners inexperience and perceived susceptibility to bribery; that the government of Qatar rejected an investment pitch from Kushners father just weeks before Kushner (reportedly) backed a blockade against that core U.S. ally; that Kushners family business won $500 million in financing from a pair of American firms, right after their top executives had White House meetings with Jared; and that all of this has made the presidents son-in-law a focal point for Robert Muellers counterintelligence investigation.
.. Kushner is still conducting high-level diplomacy for the United States. On Wednesday, the senior White House adviser traveled to Mexico for a meeting with President Enrique Peña Nieto. Relations between the U.S. and its southern neighbor are more fraught than at any time in recent memory. NAFTA negotiations have stalled; disputes over Trumps border wall have led to the cancellation of two meetings between the U.S. president and Peña Nieto; and Trumps newly unveiled steel tariffs threaten to spark a trade war on the North American continent.
... clearly, a 37-year-old real-estate heir with no background in diplomacy, specialized knowledge of geopolitics, or permanent security clearance should be the one in charge of ironing things out. Who cares if Mexico happens to be one of the four nations that American intelligence officials caught plotting to manipulate Kushner through bribery? And anyway, its not like Jared will be handling these affairs by himself. After all, Mexico is one of the few countries that still has a United States ambassador. Now, take a sip of tea and read this account of Jareds trip from the New York Times:
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/03/despite-conflicts-kushner-is-still-running-u-s-diplomacy.html
BigmanPigman
(51,607 posts)or are we going to war with Mexico now? As if building the wall wasn't enough of an insult to our southern neighbor.